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Shashikant Dhotre with Painting

Shashikant Dhotre with Painting

Shahsikant Vaman Dhotre is an Indian Contemporary painter born at Shirapur village, April 1st, 1982, district of Solapur, Maharashtra, India. He is the artist who uses color pencils and paper for his awe-inspiring drawing. Shashikant Dhotre’s artwork is a combination of intricacy and starkness. Every single viewer unanimously has the same awe and unabashed appreciation in the eyes. His painting has that rare quality of looking alive and give the impression of human existence is neither rural nor urban but rooted in purity and beauty. Time stands frozen in his work.
Early life and education:
 Shashikant Dhotre was born in a Shirapur (SO) village, Taluka Mohol, district Sholapur of Maharashtra State. Born to a mason’s family, Shashikant is eldest of the four sons and two daughters of his parents. The financial condition was not so rosy at home and he was not so enthusiastic about pursuing an academic career. Mr. Dhotre was a good observer and his mind was traveling with piercing lines that were carried throughout the stone. The sound of chisels and the line that was rising by every stroke and nicety of his father’s hand during carving the stone, these all bestowed a great influence in his mind to pursue his passion in drawing. Another strong content of his practice is his mother. She is good at sewing. Shashikant seems her mother too brave at every abominable moment of her life. He experienced these sides of arts; craftsmanship and struggle with life very closely and fortunately, it fortified him to stand against it as a master, not as a thrall. Every person has his or her own story of struggle but it is most important to see that what he or she picks up from it.
At starting of his passion in drawing he started drawings in graphite on paper. Later he was encouraged to carry this practice in larger skill at that time, he was a worker at the sand picker station But he found himself drawing on whatever surface he could. By the time he reached high school, he decides to drop out and joins his father as a helper in quarries. As the years went by, his enthusiasm grew more as he was toiling at quarries and rivers. It was then someone told that he could study art formally. With the help of good Samaritans he studied his basic education and in 2003, he joined the prestigious J.J School of Arts Mumbai. But he had to drop the college once again within three months, to extend helping hand to his mother and went back to the village. Shahsikant then decided to take matters into his own hands. He noticed that with a simple tool such as a lead pen, he could create startling art creations. He immediately got many sponsors.
In his first attempt he received the Governor’s award from Bombay art society, since then the eyes of visual art came up on his unique style. In his earlier works he drew female figures, which comes from black background. Some of his figures were looking at captive birds, fish; Sitting unblinkingly and somewhere she found very enthusiastic and very happy and enthusiastic. The endless beauty and every part of his work are like a floating device like a buoy that indicates the scenic beauty in his works. Selection of different material and treatment maintains uniqueness in his work. But his command on color pencil is really amazed and astounding. Being a master in his pencil work he still discovering something that always been scratching somewhere in his mind to expressing of his real anguish.
The works of Shashikant Dhotre stand tall in the crowd of contemporary art production because they do not discard history, on the contrary, they substantiate their role in making history by being a part of the continuity of a tradition, which automatically becomes an interface to test the veracity of various meaning created in and around them.

Awards

2009 : The Bombay Art Society Award : 1st prize

The Bombay Art Society is a non- profit primer Art organization based in Mumbai Founded In 1888. The Bombay Art society Is 127yrs old Institution founded for encouraging and promoting art .

2010 : Aashadeep Award

2011 : India Art Festival Award : 1st prize

Art Fesrtival encourages artist and art student by presenting them with “India Art Festival award since 2005.

2013: Maharashtra State Art Award :1st prize

Maharashtra State Art Award is one of the prestigious awards given to individual for his excellence. In the field of Art by the Government of Maharashtra by Hon. Governor of Maharashtra.

2015 : Kohinoor Of Maharashtra Award : 1st Prize

Kohinoor CMD Unmesh Joshi Honoured wizard sketch artist Shashikant Dhotre with Maharashtra cha Kohinoor 2015 Award at the MA TA Sanman 2015.

2016: Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year

Lokmat Maharashtrian of the year award are given to those individual who have positively impact the state and brought laurels to not only in an individual capacity but also help put brand Maharashtra on the India and Global radar.

2017: Raja Ravi Varma Chitrakar Sanman

Megh Mandal Sansthan ,a NGO Based in Rajasthan honours talented painter with Raja Ravi Varma Chitrakar sanman on remembrance of the greatest artist of India Raja Ravi Varma at their annual event Chitranjali .The Sansthan has been taking up the cause of preserving Indian Art ,Culture and tradition

2019: ‘2019 Majha Sanman Puraskar ‘

The ‘ABP Majha Sanman Puruskar ‘ was set up to recognise Maharashtrians who have brought pride to the state. It is a way of commemorating the indomitable spirit of Maharashtra. The ceremony recognised contribution by individuals towards the society in Maharashtra through their dedication and hard work. Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Pandit Shankar Abhiyankar and Madhuri Dixit felicitated 13 most influential personalities who played a crucial role in bringing development to the state over the past decade.

Exhibitions

Solo Shows (13)

2018 -“Surmounting the Murk” at Metta Contemporary Navi Mumbai.
2015 -“Jagar” The travel shows across the various cities of Maharashtra State
2015 – JEHANGIR ART GALLERY, Mumbai
2013 – India Art Festival, Mumbai
2012 – JEHANGIR ART GALLERY, Mumbai
2012 – India Art Festival, Mumbai
2011 – India Art Festival, Mumbai
2010 -TULIKA ART GALLERY, Mumbai

Group Shows (14)

2018 – ‘OUTSIDER’ Zero Eight 21 in collaboration with Clark House initiative, Mysore .
2018 – Studio Black Tulip, Navi Mumbai
2018 – World Art Dubai, Dubai
2018 – ‘Viswaroopa – The Form of Universe’ curated by Johny ML, , Kolkatta
2017 – NGMA, MUMBAI
2013 – Gallery One, Florence, Italy
2010 – Taj Vivanta Bangalore curated by Soma Das.

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